What to Do with All Those Scraps?

Hey there, quilters!

Have you ever wondered what to do with all those scraps that accumulate from cutting quilt blocks or cutting out stuff for applique? Well, I have some ideas on that.

Scrap quilts go way back to the beginning of quilting when pioneer women cut up old worn-out clothing and used them in quilts.Today, quilters tend to use a scrap bucket, bin, tub, etc., to throw scraps into for later use. 

Before I moved into my new house, I had an old laundry basket chock full of scraps! I donated a lot of fabric to a quilt charity and they also wanted all my scraps! I handed over the whole laundry basket and now I'm starting my scrap bucket all over again.

But seriously, scrap quilts are a great way to save money and make some quick and amazing quilts! I will use bits of fabric as small as an inch. Some of the larger scraps, I'll cut up into smaller pieces, depending on what I'm making. 

If you applique, you may end up with some really oddly shaped scraps (I know I do!), but not to worry, those can be cut down and used in scrap quilts. I have found that scraps work really well in my quilted landscape wallhangings. So, don't throw away your scraps!

String quilts are a form of scrap quilt and I LOVE making string quilts! It's a great way to use up any size of scrap fabric. I've even made string blocks and incorporated them into other quilts, which gives the quilts a whole new dimension. 

I like using a muslin backing for string blocks, mainly because I tend to buy muslin by the bolt, but you can use any fabric. You can also use newspapers, phone book pages, used dryer sheets, copy paper, wax paper, and even old bed sheets for backing. Basically, whatever you have handy. String borders are also super cute on quilts.

Some string blocks I made for a quilt swap

String quilt I made

One nice thing about string quilts is there is an extra layer of fabric in there for warmth. If you're making a summer or lighter weight quilt, then just add a backing and quilt, no need for batting. (Cost savings!)

Here is a link for how to make string quilts.

For basic scrap quilts, just start cutting scraps to the size you want and start sewing them together! Here is a link for scrap quilt ideas. There are also a ton of ideas on Pinterest for scrap quilts, or make it up as you go along.

Scrap baby quilt I made

Scrap borders are also fun to make and add another dimension to your quilt.

If you are looking for a quick and easy quilt to make, raid your scrap bucket and get to scrapping!

Happy Quilting and Sewing!

Quilt Patterns

Happy Fall Y'all!

Well, it's still a million degrees outside here in Texas, but for the rest of the country, fall is upon us. We won't get cooler temps until sometime in October and I always look forward to the coolness of fall. This summer has been so very long and hot and I'm so ready for it to be over!

Today, I wanted to discuss quilt patterns and how to source them, if you use them. Some people like to make up their own quilt patterns for unique one-of-a-kind quilts, and I've done that before too. But if you do use quilt patterns, where do you primarily get them from? Do you buy them in quilt shops, on Amazon, or get them for free online or on YouTube? Please comment and let me know where you get your patterns. Inquiring minds want to know.

I've bought quilt patterns and have actually used a couple but many of them sit sadly neglected on a shelf in my sewing room. I've often thought that I should sell them since I don't use them but you just never know!

Years ago, when my oldest daughter graduated college, I bought the Yellow Brick Road quilt pattern and made her that quilt. I will confess that I probably didn't follow the pattern exactly but I think it turned out great. 

Yellow Brick Road Quilt I made for my daughter

I have also watched YouTube and gotten pattern ideas from there. I mean, you have to watch the video like a hundred times (or at least I do), but that works too. I actually made a landscape wall hanging by watching a YouTube video and it looks great, I think. 

My Beach Wallhanging - Pattern from YouTube

I also have an old Fons & Porter beginner's quilt book (it's like the Betty Crocker recipe binder) that has several good patterns as well as quilting tips and tricks. That is my go-to book for quilting and I have used it since I started quilting 20-plus years ago.

There are so many good online sites with free patterns that it almost seems like a waste of money and more costly to buy patterns, and then I think about the people who painstakingly come up and produce quilt patterns and I like to help their businesses too.

Here are some online sites with free patterns in case you are feeling the economic crunch and want to reduce your quilting costs:

National Quilters Circle

The Spruce Crafts

Fat Quarter Shop

Riley Blake Designs

Favecrafts

Bear Creek Quilting Company

Make It - Love It

That's it for today! Let me know where you get your quilt patterns from in the comments. 

Whether you make up your own patterns, buy them, or get them free online Happy Quilting and Sewing!

Thrifty Quilting

Hey there!

Today, I want to discuss how to save money on fabric and quilting supplies. The cost of everything is going up and fabric, in particular, is up to over $14/yard (if you buy it new)! So, you have this quilting hobby that was expensive, to begin with, and is just getting more expensive, how do you cut costs so you can keep quilting? 

Here are some of my tips.

Tip #1:

Well, first of all, and it's rather obvious to me, is to find fabric on sale. Physical stores and online stores always have a clearance section, so go there first to see if you can find anything (I always do!).

Tip #2:

Thrift stores are a wonderful, inexpensive source for fabric. Think men's XL or XXL shirts, long cotton nightgowns, formal dresses, cotton sheets, and even some blankets (like baby blankets). These are great for fabric yardage! 

I have a camping quilt I made years ago and the back is from an old soft cotton twin-size sheet. I still use that quilt on my bed and it just gets softer the more I wash it.

Tip #3:

Use social media. Facebook, for example, has swap groups and a marketplace where you can swap or buy fabric and quilting supplies. I've seen some great sewing machines on the marketplace selling for low prices.

Tip #4:

Estate sales. Sadly, quilters do pass on to the great sewing room in the sky and their families often sell all of their fabric and quilting supplies in estate or garage sales. You can pick up items super cheap this way. I've even had people gift me fabric when a beloved quilter passes on.

Tip #5:

Ask your family and friends if they have items from, let's say spring cleaning or moving, they want to get rid of and take them off their hands. Again, think sheets, blankets, clothing, even some curtains! Make t-shirt quilts from old t-shirts. 

I had a friend who gave me all of her son's baby clothes and blankets and wanted a quilt made from them. I used only what she gave me with no other fabrics added.

The quilt I made from baby clothes and blankets

Tip #5:

Clean out your closet! (Yes, mom). Go through your own closet (or your husband's and kid's closets) and look for old dresses, shirts, pajamas, nightgowns, and pants, and cut them up for fabric. I have even been known to buy shirts because I loved the fabric and knew that one day it would go into a quilt.

You have to think outside the "fabric box" to save money on fabric and quilt supplies. And no one needs to know that you cut up an old nightgown to save money on fabric. After all, quilting originally started in this country with pioneer women cutting up old worn-out clothing to make quilts.

Those are my tips, please comment if you have any other tips to start getting thrifty with your quilting hobby in this world of rising prices.

Here are some other great articles on thrifty quilting:

Hobbies on a budget

Premeditated Leftovers

Raspberry Spool

Happy Quilting and Sewing!

Quilt Shows

 Happy Thursday (or Friday Eve)!

Do you attend quilt shows? Do you prefer looking at the quilts or shopping the vendors for fun new quilting stuff? 

I love a good quilt show for many reasons and especially for looking at the beautiful quilts and getting inspired. Also, I love to shop the vendors! I always find new and different things that I must purchase (even if my wallet does not agree). I was disappointed in 2020 (weren't we all!) because all the quilt shows were canceled and then in 2021 some of the quilt shows came back but not all of them. But this year, I think most of the quilt shows are back! 

Here are national and international quilt show schedules for the rest of 2022 and 2023.

I attended the Plano Quilt Show in August and had such a great time. I have some friends that I only see at quilt shows, so I hadn't seen some of them for a couple of years and it was great to catch up and even make a few new friends too. My quilt show friend, Judy Beskow, won several ribbons at the show, including the Viewer's Choice award. I am always in awe of her quilts and she inspires me to do better. 

Judy Beskow with her amazing quilt and ribbons

I plan on going to more quilt shows, as work and time permit, to get extra inspired. When I was walking around the Plano Quilt Show, I was thinking about all of the thousands and thousands of hours those quilters put into their work and it just astounds me. So much time, passion, and not to mention expense! No, quilting is not an inexpensive endeavor. Next time, I will discuss ways to make quilting more affordable.

Happy Quilting and Sewing!

National Sewing Month

Hey there!

Did you know that September is National Sewing Month? Well, it is! Learn more here about National Sewing Month. Tell me what's on your sewing table!

It's a nice reminder for me to get to sewing! I worked on organizing and unpacking my sewing room this weekend...still not finished...but made some good headway. You don't realize just how much fabric you own until you start digging into it, at least I don't. And fabric is heavy! I moved fabric around this weekend until I was sore. I am anxious to get everything sorted and organized because Christmas is coming fast! In truth, I should have started any sewing projects for Christmas months ago, but somehow it always sneaks up on me. Work has been very busy these past few months and based on a call I had this morning, it's not going to slow down anytime soon. We'll just call that job security! :)

I did do a lot of embroidery this weekend in an effort to finish a larger piece I've been working on for the past few months. I'll admit that I'm a bit of an embroidery kit hoarder and have several (okay, a lot) other embroidery kits that I'm anxious to get started. 

I have a plumber coming out to look at the shower in my master bathroom, which started leaking this weekend. I love my plumber but talk about an expensive unexpected expense! Homeownership definitely has its advantages, but the maintenance costs have gone up so much in the past couple of years as has everything else.

That's it for now. I wish you a beautiful day of sewing or embroidery! It's starting to almost feel like fall. It's still in the 90s in Texas and I'm looking forward to October when we will actually get cooler daytime temperatures. But until then, we enjoy the cooler evenings.

Happy Quilting and Sewing!

RIP Queen Elizabeth

Yesterday was a hard day with the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II. She's gone to the great Palace in the sky to be with Philip. I'm not British but I do have British, Irish, and Scottish ancestry and have followed the Royals for as long as I can remember. I've been to Buckingham Palace and seen the Queen's Guards, the Tower, and London Bridge. My heart goes out to all British subjects who now transition to a new Monarchy under King Charles and his Queen Consort, Camilla.

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II

I have been searching online for a freehand embroidery pattern of the Queen and cannot find one, so if you know where I can find one, please let me know. I would be excited to do a stitching of her.

I am still working on my quilting room (it's taking forever) but was excited to receive my packs of threads (not that I don't have a ton of thread already) from Sublime Stitching today. I have been a customer of Jenny's for years and she is so sweet! She runs a great little company where you can purchase embroidery thread (which I love), patterns, and tools. Her patterns are contemporary and modern (not your grandma's) which is an exciting change from some of the older patterns out there. So shout out to Jenny!

My daughter-in-law came over for a visit last night. It's always wonderful to see her and I honestly don't see her enough. She is the mom of my 2 beautiful granddaughters (growing up way too fast), who I had over last weekend. We baked a cake and cookies and made a huge amount of buttercream frosting, which ended up all over the kitchen, but we had so much fun.

Mia

Leylia

That's it for today. I am continuing on my hunt for Queen Elizabeth embroidery patterns.

Happy Quilting and Stitching!

It's Been a While

Hi there, I know it's been a long long while since I've posted anything on here, but life (and work) does tend to get in the way sometimes.

I have 5 growing grandkids now and I have moved! Not far from where I used to live, but I sold my house and bought another one that I like so much better. My dear Hootie kitty passed away several years ago, but I got another kitty (rescue) during the COVID lockdown of 2020. Miss Matilda (Tilly) is a real diva and a bit of a pill, but we get along just fine.

Miss Tilly (Diva Kitty)

She's so fluffy!

During lockdown, I did a whole bunch of freehand embroidery and am still embroidering away. I find it relaxing and I can do it while watching TV in the evenings after work.

One of my embroidered pieces

As mentioned earlier, I moved in March of this year and am still getting my quilting room set up (yes, I am slow). But, I bought a new sewing table and cutting table that I am eager to try out! I will post photos when everything is set up.

I hope all of you made it through 2020 and 2021 okay! I'm looking forward to some vacation time in the next few months. In November, I'm going to Chatanooga to attend the Lizzy & Erin Live Hickabilly Christmas event. I am meeting a long-time friend there and we are going to hang out. It will be exciting to travel a bit again. I will post photos after the event.

Cheers and Happy Quilting!